28 Days Later gets a new ending

Brendan Gleeson, Cillian Murphy in 28 Days Later

In what Hollywood experts are calling unusual marketing, distributors Fox Searchlight is adding a 'what if' ending to its art-house hit 28 Days Later. The sci-fi drama, a $7 million British production, has earned a healthy $34 million in North America. Now, the four-minute ending, which will be added to all 1,400 prints across America and Canada from July 25, is expected to give the film a further boost.

According to Fox Searchlight, writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle had conceived a darker ending to the film.

But after several test screenings, they felt the ending was too grim and opted for a sunnier ending. They felt the film was relentlessly dark and a hard-edged and negative ending would suffocate the audience.

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But since the film has become a cult hit, the filmmakers and Fox Searchlight are ready for a bold experiment. The film was the 10th highest grossing ($2.5 million) film last weekend and is expected to remain on the top 10 box-office chart for several weeks.

The R-rated film talks about a virus, accidentally released from a British research facility, that locks those infected into a permanent killing rage. Carried by animals and humans, the virus is impossible to contain. Twenty-eight days later, a small group of survivors who are trapped in London fight to protect themselves from the infected.

One of the best reviewed films in recent months, 28 Days Later has also proved to be popular in England, Germany and other countries. Its global gross is expected to reach $100 million, making it one of the more profitable small budget films of all time. The new grim ending will be added to the video and DVD copies to be unvieled in Britain and other countries too.

Though the film does not have stars, Boyle's deft handling of the story and the performers has made the film one of the year's must-see movies for serious-minded moviegoers.

While the horror film shoots plenty of adrenaline into any sensitive moviegoer, it does not remain a scare fest alone: it is also a brilliant study of human nature.


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